JP2018017965A - Image forming apparatus, and toner bottle mounted on image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of reliably transmitting a rotation driving force with the minimal loss with a simple structure for a rotational member provided for each toner container when a plurality of toner containers is mounted on a mounting part of the image forming device.SOLUTION: An image forming device 10 includes: a mounting part 58 mountable with a plurality of toner containers 3; and a transmission gear 203 provided between a plurality of first output joints 61 connected to a spiral member 95 capable of transmitting a rotation driving force to the spiral member 95 included in each toner container 3 in a state that a plurality of toner containers 3 is mounted on the mounting part 58 and a plurality of first output joints 61 and transmitting the rotation driving force from the one to the other from among the adjacent first output joints 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which a plurality of toner containers can be attached.

  Conventionally, an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on a sheet using a developer containing toner is known. This type of image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of toner containers (toner containers) for supplying toner to a developing device provided therein. The plurality of toner containers are detachably provided in a mounting portion provided in the image forming apparatus (see Patent Document 1). When the toner in the toner container is consumed and the toner container becomes empty, the toner container is removed from the image forming apparatus and replaced with a new toner container containing unused toner.

  The toner container is provided with a transport member (rotating member) for transporting the stored unused toner to the developing device of the image forming apparatus. As the conveying member, there is known a spiral member that has spiral blades and conveys toner in one direction while rotating while the blades are in contact with the toner. The conveying member receives a rotational driving force from the mounting portion via a shaft joint or the like with a plurality of toner containers mounted on the mounting portion. Specifically, a drive input unit is attached as a shaft joint to the rotation shaft of the conveying member, and a drive output unit is provided as a shaft joint connected to the drive input unit in the mounting unit. . The driving input unit is connected to the driving output unit in the process of mounting the toner container on the mounting unit. In this state, a rotational driving force from a predetermined driving source is transmitted from the driving output unit to the driving input unit.

JP 2011-180598 A

  However, in an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of toner containers are mounted on the mounting portion, it is necessary to provide the drive output unit for each of the plurality of toner containers. As described above, since the conventional drive output unit transmits the rotational driving force from the drive source, for example, when a plurality of drive output units are provided for each of the plurality of toner containers, the drive source There is a problem that a drive transmission path to each drive output unit is required, which not only makes the drive transmission mechanism complicated, but also increases the size of the apparatus.

  It is an object of the present invention to reliably transmit rotational driving force with a simple mechanism with little loss to a rotating member provided in each toner container when a plurality of toner containers are mounted on the mounting portion of the image forming apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and a toner container.

  An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a mounting portion on which a plurality of toner containers can be mounted, a plurality of first drive connecting portions, and a transmission member. The plurality of first drive connecting portions are connected to rotation members provided in the respective toner containers in a mounting posture in which the plurality of toner containers are mounted on the mounting portion, and a rotational driving force supplied from the mounting portion. Is transmitted to the rotating member. The transmission member transmits the rotational driving force from one of the adjacent first drive connection portions to the other first drive connection portion.

  A toner container according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to be mounted on a mounting portion to which a plurality of toner containers can be mounted. The toner container includes a container main body that accommodates toner, a rotating member, a first drive connecting portion, and a transmission member. The rotating member is rotatably provided in the container main body, and conveys toner accommodated in the container main body. The first drive connecting portion is rotatably provided on the container main body and is connected to a rotating shaft of the rotating member. In the mounting posture in which the toner container is mounted on the mounting portion, the transmission member is disposed between another first drive connection portion provided in another adjacent toner container and the first drive connection portion provided in the toner container. The container main body is rotatably provided so as to be arranged at the position, and the rotational driving force supplied from the mounting portion is transmitted from the other first drive connecting portion to the first drive connecting portion.

  According to the present invention, when a plurality of toner containers are mounted on the mounting portion of the image forming apparatus, the rotational driving force is reliably transmitted to the rotating member provided in each toner container with a simple mechanism with little loss. It is possible.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the image forming unit provided in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a toner container mounting portion. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner container for magenta and black. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the toner container for magenta and black. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the magenta toner container. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the magenta toner container. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the front side of the magenta toner container. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view showing the configuration of the rear surface of the magenta toner container. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a lid member and an internal member of a magenta toner container. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a gear transmission mechanism provided in the toner container. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a drive transmission mechanism included in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a drive transmission mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. 1st Embodiment described below is only an example which actualized this invention, and does not limit the technical scope of this invention. For convenience of explanation, the vertical direction is defined as the vertical direction D1 in the installation state in which the image forming apparatus 10 can be used (the state shown in FIG. 1). Also, the front-rear direction D2 is defined with the front surface of the paper cassette 22 shown in FIG. Further, a left-right direction D3 is defined with reference to the front surface of the image forming apparatus 10 in the installed state.

  The image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has at least a printing function. The image forming apparatus 10 is, for example, a tandem type color printer.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a housing 11. The housing 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Each component constituting the image forming apparatus 10 is provided inside the housing 11. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state where the cover on the right side surface of the housing 11 is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a plurality of image forming units 15 (15Y, 15C, 15M, and 15K), an intermediate transfer unit 16, an optical scanning device 17, a primary transfer roller 18, and a secondary transfer roller 19. , A fixing device 20, a sheet tray 21, a paper feed cassette 22, a conveyance path 24, and a control board 26 that controls each part of the image forming apparatus 10. In addition, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a toner container 3 (an example of a toner container, see FIG. 1) configured to be detachable inside the housing 11. In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 includes four image forming units 15.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the central portion of the image forming unit 15. The image forming unit 15 forms a toner image based on an electrophotographic system. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the image forming units 15 includes a drum unit 31, a charging device 32, a developing device 33, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming units 15 are arranged side by side along the front-rear direction D <b> 2 inside the housing 11, and form a color image based on a so-called tandem method. Specifically, a yellow toner image is formed in the image forming unit 15Y. In each of the image forming units 15C, 15M, and 15B, a cyan toner image, a magenta toner image, and a black toner image are formed. In order from the downstream side (left side in FIG. 2) of the movement direction (arrow D10 direction) of the transfer belt 35 of the intermediate transfer unit 16, the yellow image forming unit 15Y, the cyan image forming unit 15C, and the magenta image. The forming unit 15M and the black image forming unit 15K are arranged in a line in that order.

  Each drum unit 31 includes a photosensitive drum 41, a drum cleaning device 42, and a housing 44 that supports them. The housing 44 is long in the left-right direction D3. The photosensitive drum 41 holds a toner image developed by the developing device 33 and is a member formed in a cylindrical shape. The photosensitive drum 41 is rotatably supported by the housing 44.

  In each image forming unit 15, when the photosensitive drum 41 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by the charging device 32, the optical scanning device 17 irradiates the surface of each photosensitive drum 41 with laser light based on image data. The Thereby, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 41. The electrostatic latent image is developed (visualized) as a toner image by the developing device 33. The toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drum 41 are sequentially transferred onto the transfer belt 35 by the primary transfer rollers 18. Next, the color image on the transfer belt 35 is transferred to the printing paper by the secondary transfer roller 19. The color image transferred to the printing paper is fixed on the printing paper by the fixing device 20 and then discharged from the sheet discharge port 28 to the sheet tray 21.

  The drum cleaning device 42 removes the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 41 after the transfer. The drum cleaning device 42 is disposed on the rear side of the photosensitive drum 41. The drum cleaning device 42 is provided for each photosensitive drum 41. Each drum cleaning device 42 includes a cleaning blade 45 and a spiral member 46 which are cleaning members. The cleaning blade 45 and the spiral member 46 are long in the left-right direction D3. A cleaning blade 45 and a spiral member 46 are supported by the housing 44. The cleaning blade 45 has substantially the same length as the photosensitive drum 41. The tip of the cleaning blade 45 is disposed in contact with or close to the surface of the photosensitive drum 41. The spiral member 46 is a toner conveying member and has spiral blades around its axis. The spiral member 46 is rotatably supported in the housing 44.

  When a rotational driving force is input to the spindle of the spiral member 46, the spiral member 46 rotates. When the photosensitive drum 41 is rotated, the cleaning blade 45 removes used toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41 after transfer by the primary transfer roller 18. Since the removed toner is toner to be discarded, it is generally called waste toner. The waste toner is conveyed in one direction by a rotating spiral member 46. Specifically, the waste toner is conveyed to one side (right side in this embodiment) of the photosensitive drum 41 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction). Thereafter, the waste toner is discharged into the lower container 72 of the toner container 3 and collected.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the developing device 33 includes a housing 50, a first stirring member 52, a second stirring member 53, a developing roller 54, and the like. Toner (developer) is accommodated in the bottom of the housing 50, and the toner is conveyed while being stirred by the first stirring member 52 and the second stirring member 53. A supply port 56 is formed in the wall surface 51 of the housing 50 located above the first stirring member 52. The supply port 56 is formed at the right end of the wall surface 51. The toner discharged from the toner container 3 is supplied into the housing 50 through the supply port 56. The developing roller 54 draws toner from the bottom of the housing 50 by the built-in magnetic pole and holds the toner on the outer peripheral surface. The toner held on the developing roller 54 is attached to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 41 by a potential difference applied between the developing roller 54 and the photosensitive drum 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of toner containers 3 (3Y, 3C, 3M, 3K) are attached to the inside of the housing 11. Specifically, four toner containers 3 are attached to each mounting portion 58 (see FIG. 4) inside the housing 11. In the present embodiment, a plurality of toner containers 3 are mounted in a state of being aligned along the front-rear direction D2, and the black toner container 3K is disposed at the rearmost position.

  Each toner container 3 includes an upper storage portion 71 (an example of a first toner storage portion) and a lower storage portion 72 (an example of a second toner storage portion). The upper accommodating portion 71 is disposed on the upper portion of the toner container 3 in the mounting posture in which the toner container 3 is mounted on the mounting portion 58. In addition, the lower storage portion 72 is disposed below the upper storage portion 71 and below the toner container 3 in the mounting posture.

  The upper accommodating portion 71 has an accommodating space 85 (see FIG. 6) in which toner can be accommodated, and unused toner for replenishment is accommodated in the accommodating space 85. The lower accommodating portion 72 has an accommodating space 86 (see FIG. 6) in which toner can be accommodated, and the used waste toner discharged from the drum cleaning device 42 is accommodated in the accommodating space 86. The In a state where the toner container 3 is mounted on the mounting portion 58, the unused toner is replenished into the developing device 33 from the upper storage portion 71 of each toner container 3. Further, the waste toner discharged from each drum cleaning device 42 is stored in the lower storage portion 72 of the toner container 3. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the four toner containers 3 are provided on the right side of the image forming unit 15 and inside the right cover (not shown) of the housing 11. Each toner container 3 is provided side by side in the front-rear direction D <b> 2 on the right side of the housing 11. Details of the toner container 3 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer unit 16 is provided on the upper side of the four image forming units 15, more specifically on the upper side of the respective photosensitive drums 41. The intermediate transfer unit 16 includes a transfer belt 35, a driving roller 36, a driven roller 37, and a belt cleaning device 38. The primary transfer roller 18 is supported by a frame (not shown) of the intermediate transfer unit 16.

  The transfer belt 35 is an annular belt member, and is stretched by a driving roller 36 and a driven roller 37 so as to extend in the front-rear direction D2. Each drum unit 31 is disposed along the transfer belt 35 in the front-rear direction D2. The transfer belt 35 holds the toner image primarily transferred from the photosensitive drum 41 on the surface. When the transfer belt 35 is rotationally driven and moves in the direction of the arrow D10, the toner images of the respective colors held on the photosensitive drums 41 are sequentially transferred to the transfer belt 35 so as to overlap each other.

  The belt cleaning device 38 is provided in the vicinity of the fixing device 20. Specifically, the belt cleaning device 38 is provided on the upper side of the transfer belt 35 and on the rear side of the housing 11. Below the belt cleaning device 38, an image forming unit 15K for black is disposed. That is, among the plurality of image forming units 15, the belt cleaning device 38 is provided at a position closest to the black image forming unit 15K. The belt cleaning device 38 removes the used toner remaining on the surface of the transfer belt 35, and conveys the removed waste toner toward the lower container 72 of the toner container 3K.

  As shown in FIG. 4, four mounting portions 58 for detachably supporting the toner container 3 are provided at the right end portion of the housing 11. Each mounting portion 58 is fixed to a support plate 49 provided at the right end portion of the housing 11. Each mounting portion 58 has a bracket 59 for supporting each toner container 3. Each toner container 3 is detachably supported by a corresponding bracket 59.

  The image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a drive source 30 (see FIG. 15A) such as a motor. The mounting portion 58 is provided with a drive transmission mechanism 200 that transmits the rotational driving force output from the drive source 30. The drive transmission mechanism 200 transmits the rotational driving force to spiral members 95 and 108 (to be described later) included in each toner container 3 in a state where the toner container 3 is mounted on all four mounting portions 58. The configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 200 will be described later.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the magenta toner container 3M will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 show a toner container 3M and a toner container 3K adjacent to the toner container 3M.

  The toner container 3K is formed to have a larger outer shape and capacity than the toner container 3M in order to accommodate a large amount of black toner to be used. Therefore, the configuration of the toner container 3K is denoted by the same reference numeral as that of the toner container 3M, and the description thereof is omitted. Further, since the toner containers 3Y and 3C have the same configuration as the toner container 3M, description of these configurations is omitted.

  5 to 14, the vertical direction D1, the front-rear direction D2, and the left-right direction D3 are based on the mounting posture when the toner container 3M is mounted on the mounting portion 58 (see FIG. 4). Is shown. Hereinafter, with respect to the mounted toner container 3M, the vertical direction D1 is defined as the height direction D11 of the toner container 3M, the front-rear direction D2 is defined as the width direction D12 of the toner container 3M, and the left-right direction D3. Is defined as the depth direction D13 of the toner container 3M.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the toner container 3M is formed in an elongated shape in the vertical direction D1 in the mounting posture. The toner container 3M has a container body 75. The container body 75 is a resin molded product obtained by injection molding a synthetic resin. The container body 75 is formed in a shape that is long in the height direction D11, and is formed in a shape that is wide in the width direction D12 and shallow in the depth direction D13.

  The container body 75 has an upper case 78 formed on the upper side, a lower case 79 formed on the lower side, and a lid 76. That is, the upper case 78 is formed on one side (upper side) of the container body 75 in the height direction D11 (longitudinal direction) and on the other side (lower side) of the container body 75 in the height direction D11 (longitudinal direction). A lower case 79 is formed. The upper case 78 and the lower case 79 are separated in the vertical direction D <b> 1 and have a gap between the upper case 78 and the lower case 79. The container body 75 is formed integrally with an upper case 78 and a lower case 79. Inside the upper case 78, an accommodation space 85 that can accommodate the unused toner is defined. That is, the storage space 85 inside the upper storage portion 71 is partitioned by the upper case 78. In the lower case 79, a storage space 86 that can store the waste toner is defined. That is, the storage space 86 inside the lower storage portion 72 is partitioned by the lower case 79.

  An opening 81 is formed on the right side of the upper case 78, and an opening 82 is also formed on the right side of the lower case 79. Each opening part 81 and 82 is formed on the same surface. A flange 83 is formed at the opening edge of each opening 81, 82. The flange 83 is formed in a plate shape having a thickness in the depth direction D13.

  The lid 76 is a resin molded product obtained by injection molding a synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 5, the lid 76 covers the opening 81 and the opening 82. The lid body 76 is a flat plate-like member and is formed in a shape that matches the outer peripheral shape of the flange 83. The outer peripheral edge 761 and the flange 83 are welded in a state where the outer peripheral edge 761 of the lid body 76 is aligned with the flange 83.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the lid 76 on the inner surface 762 side. FIG. 13 shows the posture when the stirring member 91 and the spiral member 95 are supported by the container body 75. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of ribs 77 are provided on the inner surface 762 of the lid body 76. The rib 77 is formed integrally with the lid. The plurality of ribs 77 are used for positioning the lid body 76 with respect to the upper case 78 and the lower case 79, and are provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge 761 of the lid body 76. In the process in which the outer peripheral edge 761 of the lid 76 is aligned with the flange 83, the rib 77 enters the inside of the openings 81 and 82. Thereby, the rib 77 guides the lid body 76 with respect to the openings 81 and 82 so that the outer peripheral edge 761 of the lid body 76 fits the flange 83 closely.

  When the opening 81 and the opening 82 are closed by one lid 76, an upper housing 71 having an upper housing space 85 is formed, and a lower housing 72 having a lower housing space 86 is formed. Is done. As shown in FIG. 11, the lower container 72 of the toner container 3 </ b> M is formed larger in size in the depth direction D <b> 13 than the upper container 71.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the upper housing part 71 includes a stirring member 91 and a first transport part 92. Specifically, a paddle-shaped stirring member 91 is provided inside the upper accommodation space 85. The stirring member 91 is supported by the upper case 78 so as to be rotatable inside the accommodation space 85. In addition, a first transport unit 92 for transporting toner to the developing device 33 is provided inside the accommodation space 85.

  The stirring member 91 is a rotating member that is rotatably supported by the upper housing portion 71. The agitating member 91 agitates the unused toner accommodated in the upper accommodating portion 71 by rotating in response to an external rotational driving force. As shown in FIGS. 11, 14, and 15, the stirring member 91 is provided in parallel with a spiral member 95 described later. The stirring member 91 is roughly divided and includes a rotating shaft member 911 and a film-like paddle portion 912.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the rotation shaft member 911 is rotatably provided in the accommodation space 85 of the upper accommodation portion 71. The rotation shaft member 911 is a shaft member formed in a long shape in the depth direction D13. One end 161 (on the lid body 76 side) in the axial direction of the rotating shaft member 911 is rotatably supported by the inner surface 762 of the lid body 76 that forms the right wall surface of the upper housing portion 71. Specifically, a bearing portion 171 is formed integrally with the lid 76 on the inner surface 762, and the end portion 161 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 171. Further, the other end (opposite side) end portion 162 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft member 911 is rotatably supported on the inner surface 785 of the left side wall (the mounting portion 58 side) of the upper case 78. Specifically, a bearing portion 172 is formed integrally with the upper case 78 on the inner surface 785, and the end portion 162 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 172. Thereby, the rotating shaft member 911 is rotatably supported in the accommodation space 85. Note that the end portion 161 of the rotating shaft member 911 is connected to a second transmission portion 192 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the rotating shaft member 911 has a base portion 160 as a shaft main body. The base part 160 is a plate-like member extending in the depth direction D13. An end portion 161 is provided on the lid 76 side of the base portion 160, and an end portion 162 is provided on the opposite side of the base portion 160. The rotating shaft member 911 is a resin molded product, and a base portion 160, an end portion 161, and an end portion 162 are integrally formed.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the base portion 160 has two support pieces 165. The support piece 165 is for supporting the paddle portion 912. Each support piece 165 is arranged on the side surface of the base portion 160 at an interval in the axial direction. The support piece 165 is a plate piece (support piece) that forms a minute gap with the side surface of the base portion 160, and is fixed so that the edge of the paddle part 912 is sandwiched between the minute gaps.

  The paddle part 912 is a film member formed in a thin film shape. The paddle portion 912 is made of a synthetic resin material having elasticity, such as polyester or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin. The paddle part 912 contacts the unused toner accommodated in the upper accommodation part 71 by rotating the agitating member 91, and thereby agitates the unused toner.

  When a rotational driving force is input to the rotary shaft member 911, the stirring member 91 is rotated in one direction within the accommodation space 85. In the present embodiment, the stirring member 91 is rotated in the rotation direction D31 shown in FIG. As a result, the unused toner in the accommodation space 85 is agitated by the rotating paddle portion 912.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first transport section 92 includes a cylindrical first transport guide section 94 that extends outward from the left wall surface 781 (an example of the facing surface) of the upper case 78, and 1 has a spiral member 95 (a rotating member, an example of a first conveying member, see FIG. 10) provided inside the one conveying guide portion 94. In other words, the spiral member 95 is provided in the toner container 3M. The first conveyance guide portion 94 is formed integrally with the upper case 78 and is formed in a cylindrical shape having the same center as the rotation center of the spiral member 95. Here, the wall surface 781 is located on one side of the toner container 3M in the depth direction D13 with respect to the mounting portion 58, and is a surface facing when the toner container 3M is mounted on the mounting portion 58. The depth direction D13 coincides with the attaching / detaching direction of the toner container 3M with respect to the mounting portion 58.

  The spiral member 95 is rotatably provided inside the upper accommodating portion 71, and extends in the depth direction D13 orthogonal to the height direction D11 as shown in FIG. In other words, the spiral member 95 extends in the depth direction D13 (vertical direction) perpendicular to the mounting portion 58. The spiral member 95 is a conveyance member that conveys the unused toner accommodated in the accommodation space 85 to the mounting portion 58 (see FIG. 4) through the inside of the first conveyance guide portion 94. The first conveyance guide unit 94 is a guide member that guides the unused toner conveyed by the spiral member 95 to the developing device 33.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the spiral member 95 includes a spiral blade 97 around the rotation axis 96. An end portion 961 on the lid body 76 side of the rotation shaft 96 of the spiral member 95 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 99 formed integrally with the inner surface 762 of the lid body 76. Further, the end 961 of the rotating shaft 96 is connected to a first transmission unit 191 described later.

  In addition, the spiral member 95 is inserted into the first conveyance guide portion 94, and a portion on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 96 is rotatably supported by the first conveyance guide portion 94. Specifically, a first input unit 98 (an example of a first drive input unit) that receives a rotational driving force input from the outside is attached to an end 962 on the opposite side of the rotating shaft 96. In addition, a bearing hole 941 (an example of a first bearing portion) is formed at the distal end portion of the first conveyance guide portion 94. The bearing hole 941 is a through hole that penetrates the distal end portion of the first transport guide portion 94 outward. The bearing hole 941 allows the end portion 962 of the rotating shaft 96 of the spiral member 95 to be inserted outward from the distal end portion of the first transport guide portion 94 and supports the rotating shaft 96 rotatably. As a result, the end 962 is rotatably supported inside the first conveyance guide portion 94 with the rotation shaft 96 protruding outside from the bearing hole 941. An engaging claw 963 (see FIG. 13) is formed integrally with the end 962, and the first input portion 98 is attached to the engaging claw 963 from the outside of the bearing hole 941.

  When a rotational driving force is input to the rotary shaft 96 of the spiral member 95, the spiral member 95 is rotated in one direction within the accommodation space 85. In the present embodiment, when a rotational driving force is input to the first input unit 98, the spiral member 95 is rotated in the rotational direction D30 shown in FIG. As a result, the unused toner in the storage space 85 is transported from the storage space 85 through the inside of the first transport guide portion 94 toward the tip of the first transport guide portion 94.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a toner discharge port for discharging the toner stored in the storage space 85 to the outside on the lower outer peripheral surface (hereinafter abbreviated as “lower surface”) of the first conveyance guide portion 94. 100 is formed. The toner discharge port 100 is a through-opening that vertically penetrates the outer peripheral wall constituting the lower surface of the first conveyance guide portion 94. In the present embodiment, the toner discharge port 100 is formed at the end closest to the first input unit 98 on the lower surface of the first conveyance guide unit 94.

  A shutter member 101 for opening and closing the toner discharge port 100 is provided on the lower surface of the first conveyance guide portion 94. The shutter member 101 is supported by the first conveyance guide portion 94 so that the lower surface of the first conveyance guide portion 94 can slide in the longitudinal direction of the first conveyance guide portion 94 (left and right direction in FIG. 10).

  In this embodiment, when the toner container 3M is mounted on the mounting portion 58 (see FIG. 4), the shutter member 101 is moved from the closed position that closes the toner discharge port 100 to the open position that opens the toner discharge port 100. The

  Further, when the toner discharge port 100 is aligned with the replenishment port 56 (see FIG. 3) of the developing device 33 when the toner container 3M is in the mounting posture, the toner discharge port 100 and the replenishment port 56 are connected to each other. The toner can be supplied from the discharge port 100 to the supply port 56. Further, when the first input portion 98 is connected to a first output joint 61 (an example of the first drive connecting portion, see FIG. 4) provided in the mounting portion 58, the first input joint 61 is connected to the first input portion. The rotational driving force can be transmitted to 98. When the rotational driving force is transmitted to the first input unit 98, the spiral member 95 is rotated, so that the toner in the accommodation space 85 is conveyed from the toner discharge port 100 to the replenishment port 56 through the first conveyance guide unit 94. Then, the toner is supplied into the developing device 33.

  The first output joint 61 is formed with an engagement hole 611 (see FIG. 4) having a rectangular cross section, and the first input joint 98 is inserted into the engagement hole 611 so that the first output joint 61 and the first input unit 98 engage in the direction around the axis. Thereby, the rotational driving force from the first output joint 61 can be transmitted to the first input unit 98.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first output joint 61 is provided in the mounting portion 58. The first output joint 61 is a drive output unit for outputting the rotational driving force output from the drive source 30 (see FIG. 15A) such as a motor provided in the image forming apparatus 10 to the outside. For this reason, the first output joint 61 has a first input gear 201 to be described later to which the rotational driving force is transmitted. The first output joint 61 is connected to the first input portion 98 in the left-right direction D3 when the toner container 3M is attached to the attachment portion 58. In the present embodiment, the first output joint 61 is provided in each of the four mounting portions 58. That is, when the toner container 3 is mounted on each of the four mounting portions 58, the first output joints 61 are connected to the first input portions 98 included in the toner containers 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the lid 76 is provided with a gear transmission mechanism 103. The gear transmission mechanism 103 is connected to the rotating shaft 96 of the spiral member 95 and the rotating shaft member 911 of the stirring member 91 in a state where the lid body 76 closes the openings 81 and 82. Thereby, the rotational driving force transmitted from the first input unit 98 to the spiral member 95 is transmitted to the stirring member 91 by the gear transmission mechanism 103. That is, since the gear transmission mechanism 103 is provided, when the rotational driving force is input to the first input unit 98, the spiral member 95 and the stirring member 91 are rotated in conjunction with each other.

  The gear transmission mechanism 103 transmits the rotational driving force input to the rotating shaft 96 of the spiral member 95 from the end portion 961 of the rotating shaft 96 (see FIG. 10) to the end portion 161 of the rotating shaft member 911 of the stirring member 91. This is transmitted to the paddle unit 912. As shown in FIG. 14, the gear transmission mechanism 103 includes a first transmission portion 191 connected to the end portion 961 of the rotation shaft 96, and a second transmission portion 192 connected to the end portion 161 of the rotation shaft member 911. And an idle gear 193 provided between them.

  The first transmission unit 191 has a first gear 1911 that is coupled to the idle gear 193. The second transmission unit 192 includes a second gear 1921 that is coupled to the idle gear 193. The first gear 1911, the second gear 1921, and the idle gear 193 are disposed on the surface of the lid body 76. Specifically, the first gear 1911, the second gear 1921, and the idle gear 193 are rotatably accommodated in a concave gear accommodating portion 188 formed on the surface of the lid body 76, and mesh with each other to rotate. Is disposed in the gear housing portion 188 in a state where it can be transmitted. The gear housing portion 188 is a recess that is recessed from the surface of the lid body 76 toward the inside of the container body 75. The first gear 1911, the second gear 1921, and the idle gear 193 are accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 188 on the inner side of the recess of the gear accommodating portion 188 than the surface of the lid 76. In other words, the first gear 1911, the second gear 1921, and the idle gear 193 are accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 188 while being buried in the gear accommodating portion 188. For this reason, each gear 1911, 1921, 193 maintains a state where it does not protrude outward from the surface of the lid body 76.

  Since the gear transmission mechanism 103 described above is provided, when the rotational driving force is transmitted from the first input unit 98 to the spiral member 95, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the stirring member 91 by the gear transmission mechanism 103. Thereby, when the spiral member 95 rotates, the stirring member 91 also rotates in the same rotational direction as the spiral member 95. Further, since the gears 1911, 1921, and 193 of the gear transmission mechanism 103 are accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 188, it is possible to prevent the user's finger from touching the gears 1911, 1921, and 193. In particular, the user's finger is prevented from touching the teeth of the gears 1911, 1921, and 193.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lower accommodation portion 72 includes a second transport unit 105. Specifically, a second transport unit 105 for transporting waste toner discharged from the drum unit 31 corresponding to magenta color to the storage space 86 is provided in the lower storage space 86. The second conveyance unit 105 extends outward from the left wall surface 791 of the lower case 79 and is provided inside the cylindrical second conveyance guide unit 107 having a toner conveyance path therein and the second conveyance guide unit 107. And a spiral member 108 (an example of a second conveying member, see FIG. 11). The second conveyance guide unit 107 is formed integrally with the lower case 79.

  The spiral member 108 is rotatably provided in the lower accommodating portion 72 and extends in the depth direction D13 orthogonal to the height direction D11 as shown in FIG. In other words, the spiral member 108 extends in the depth direction D13 (vertical direction) perpendicular to the mounting portion 58. The spiral member 108 is a conveyance member that conveys the waste toner discharged from the drum unit 31 to the second conveyance guide unit 107 through the inside of the second conveyance guide unit 107 to the accommodation space 86. The second conveyance guide unit 107 is a guide member that receives the waste toner from the drum unit 31 and guides the waste toner conveyed by the spiral member 108 into the storage space 86.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the spiral member 108 has a spiral blade 110 around the axis of the rotation shaft 109. An end portion 1091 on the lid body 76 side of the rotation shaft 109 of the spiral member 108 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 112 formed integrally with the inner surface 762 of the lid body 76.

  Further, the spiral member 108 is inserted into the inside of the second conveyance guide portion 107, and a portion on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 109 is rotatably supported by the second conveyance guide portion 107. Specifically, a second input unit 111 (an example of a second drive input unit) that receives a rotational driving force input from the outside is attached to an end 1092 on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 109. In addition, a bearing hole 1071 (an example of a second bearing portion) is formed at the distal end portion of the second conveyance guide portion 107. The bearing hole 1071 is a through hole that penetrates the distal end portion of the second transport guide portion 107 outward. The bearing hole 1071 allows the end portion 1092 of the rotating shaft 109 of the spiral member 108 to be inserted outward from the distal end portion of the second transport guide portion 107 and supports the rotating shaft 109 to be rotatable. Thus, the end portion 1092 is rotatably supported inside the second conveyance guide portion 107 in a state where the rotation shaft 109 protrudes to the outside from the bearing hole 1071. A second input unit 111 is attached to the end 1092. The second input portion 111 is fixed to the end portion 1092 from the outside of the bearing hole 1071 in a state where the end portion 1092 is inserted outward from the bearing hole 1071.

  When a rotational driving force is input to the rotation shaft 109 of the spiral member 108, the spiral member 108 is rotated in one direction within the accommodation space 86. As a result, the waste toner discharged from the drum cleaning device 42 of the drum unit 31 is transported to the accommodation space 86 through the inside of the second transport guide portion 107.

  As shown in FIG. 11, an introduction port 114 is formed on the upper surface of the second conveyance guide unit 107 to guide waste toner into the storage space 86. Further, a shutter member 115 for opening and closing the introduction port 114 is provided on the upper surface of the second transport guide portion 107. The shutter member 115 is supported by the second conveyance guide portion 107 so that the upper surface of the second conveyance guide portion 107 can slide in the longitudinal direction of the second conveyance guide portion 107 (left and right direction in FIG. 11).

  In the present embodiment, when the toner container 3M is mounted on the mounting portion 58 (see FIG. 4), the shutter member 115 is moved from the closed position where the inlet 114 is closed to the open position where the inlet 114 is opened. .

  Further, when the introduction port 114 is aligned with the discharge port (not shown) of the drum cleaning device 42 when the toner container 3M is in the mounted posture, and the introduction port 114 and the discharge port are connected, the discharge port 114 Waste toner can be conveyed to the inlet 114. Further, when the second input portion 111 is connected to a second output joint 62 (an example of the second drive connecting portion, see FIG. 13) provided in the mounting portion 58, the second input portion is connected to the second input portion. The rotational driving force can be transmitted to 111. When a rotational driving force is input to the second input unit 111, the waste toner discharged from the discharge port and transported into the second transport guide unit 107 by the rotation of the spiral member 108 is transferred to the second transport guide 107. It is conveyed to the accommodation space 86 through the section 107.

  Note that an engaging portion 621 (see FIG. 4) made up of a plurality of protruding pieces is formed at the tip of the second output joint 62, and the second input portion 111 is engaged with the engaging portion 621. The second output joint 62 and the second input portion 111 are engaged in the direction around the axis. Thereby, the rotational driving force from the second output joint 62 can be transmitted to the second input unit 111.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second output joint 62 is provided in the mounting portion 58 and is provided at a position different from the first output joint 61. The second output joint 62 is a drive output unit for outputting the rotational drive force output from the drive source 30 (see FIG. 15A) such as a motor provided in the image forming apparatus 10 to the outside. The second output joint 62 is connected to the second input unit 111 in the left-right direction D3 when the toner container 3M is mounted on the mounting unit 58. In the present embodiment, the second output joint 62 is provided in each of the four mounting portions 58. That is, when the toner container 3 is mounted on each of the four mounting portions 58, each second output joint 62 is connected to the second input portion 111 included in each toner container 3.

  In the present embodiment, the first input unit 98 and the first output joint 61 are aligned in the process of mounting the toner container 3M on the mounting unit 58, and the second input unit 111 and the second output joint 62 are aligned. And are aligned. Thereby, the 1st input part 98 and the 1st output joint 61, and the 2nd input part 111 and the 2nd output joint 62 are connected smoothly and reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first transport unit 92 and the second transport unit 105 are provided apart from each other in the width direction D12. Specifically, the first transport unit 92 is provided close to one side (front side) in the width direction D12 on the wall surface 781 of the upper housing 71. In addition, the second transport unit 105 is provided close to the other side portion (the rear side portion) in the width direction D <b> 12 on the left wall surface 791 of the lower housing portion 72.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 200 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 15A is a schematic diagram when the drive transmission mechanism 200 is viewed from above, and FIG. 15B is a schematic diagram when the drive transmission mechanism 200 is viewed from the side (right side). is there.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the drive transmission mechanism 200 includes four first input gears 201, four second input gears 202, and four transmission gears 203 (an example of a transmission member). Each gear 201 to 203 is provided in each mounting portion 58 and is rotatably supported by a bracket 59 of each mounting portion 58. In each bracket 59, the gears 201 to 203 are rotatably supported while being engaged with each other.

  The first input gear 201 is formed integrally with the first output joint 61. The first output joint 61 and the first input gear 201 have a common rotating shaft 206. A rotating shaft 206 is pivotally supported on the bracket 59. For this reason, when a rotational driving force is input to the first input gear 201 and rotates, the first output joint 61 also rotates in the same rotational direction. The second input gear 202 is formed integrally with the second output joint 62. The second output joint 62 and the second input gear 202 have a common rotating shaft 207. The rotation shaft 207 is pivotally supported on the bracket 59. For this reason, when a rotational driving force is input to the second input gear 202 and rotated, the second output joint 62 also rotates in the same rotational direction.

  Of the four transmission gears 203, the transmission gear 203K provided on the bracket 59K to which the toner container 3K is mounted is connected to the first input gear 201K attached to the bracket 59K so as to be able to transmit the drive. The output shaft of the drive source 30 such as a motor provided in the image forming apparatus 10 is connected to the rotation shaft 206 of the first input gear 201K. For this reason, when the driving source 30 is driven and a rotational driving force is output from the output shaft, the rotational driving force is input to the first input gear 201K to rotate the first output joint 61.

  Of the four transmission gears 203, the three transmission gears 203M, 203C, and 203Y provided on the brackets 59M, 59C, and 59Y to which the toner containers 3M, 3C, and 3Y are attached are arranged in a line along the front-rear direction D2. Are arranged between the four first output joints 61 arranged in a row. Specifically, the three transmission gears 203 </ b> M, 203 </ b> C, and 203 </ b> Y are disposed between the four first input gears 201 provided in each first output joint 61. The transmission gear 203M is disposed between the adjacent first input gears 201K and 201M, and is coupled to the adjacent first input gears 201K and 201M so as to be able to transmit driving. The transmission gear 203C is disposed between the adjacent first input gears 201M and 201C, and is coupled to the adjacent first input gears 201M and 201C so as to be able to transmit driving. The transmission gear 203Y is disposed between the adjacent first input gears 201C and 201Y, and is coupled to the adjacent first input gears 201C and 201Y so as to be able to transmit driving. Therefore, when a rotational driving force is input to one of the two adjacent first input gears 201, the transmission gear 203 transmits the rotational driving force to the other first input gear 201. Can communicate.

  In the present embodiment, the output shaft of the drive source 30 is not connected to the rotary shafts 206 of the first input gears 201M, 201C, and 201Y attached to the brackets 59M, 59C, and 59Y, and the output shaft is The first input gear 201K is connected only to the rotating shaft 206. For this reason, when the rotational driving force is input to the first input gear 201K, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the adjacent first input gear 201M via the transmission gear 203M. The rotational driving force is sequentially transmitted to the transmission gear 203C, the first input gear 201C, the transmission gear 203Y, and the first input gear 201Y. Thereby, the rotational driving force is input to all the first input gears 201, and as a result, all the first output joints 61 are rotated.

  Further, in each bracket 59, the transmission gear 203 is also coupled to the second input gear 202 so as to be able to transmit the rotational driving force. Therefore, the rotational driving force transmitted to the transmission gear 203 in each bracket 59 is transmitted from the transmission gear 203 to the second input gear 202. As a result, the rotational driving force is input to all the second input gears 202, and as a result, all the second output joints 62 are rotated.

  Since the drive transmission mechanism 200 is configured as described above, when the drive source 30 is driven in a state where the toner container 3 is mounted on all of the four mounting portions 58, the rotational driving force is converted to the first input gear. Through 201K, the signals are sequentially transmitted to adjacent gears, and finally transmitted to all the first output joints 61 and the second output joints 62. Then, this rotational driving force is transmitted from the first input portion 98 of the toner container 3 to the spiral member 95, and is transmitted from the second input portion 111 to the spiral member 108. Thus, since the rotational driving force is transmitted, the number of transmission gears can be reduced as compared with a conventional drive transmission mechanism having a plurality of drive transmission paths from the drive source 30 to each of the first output joints 61. it can. As a result, transmission loss in the transmission path from the drive source 30 to the spiral member 95 and spiral member 108 can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the rotational driving force can be reliably transmitted to the spiral member 95 and spiral member 108. it can.

  In the first embodiment described above, the drive transmission mechanism 200 in which the transmission gear 203 can also transmit the drive to the second input gear 202 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the drive transmission mechanism 200 may be configured to be able to transmit drive from at least the first input gear 201K to the first input gear 201M via the adjacent transmission gear 203M.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described first embodiment, the drive transmission mechanism 200 provided in the mounting portion 58 is illustrated. However, the image forming apparatus 10 of the second embodiment replaces the above-described drive transmission mechanism 200 with a plurality of toner containers 3. A drive transmission mechanism 210 realized by the above is provided.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 210 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Here, FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the drive transmission mechanism 210 constituted by each member provided in the four toner containers 3 in a state where the four toner containers 3 are mounted on the mounting portion 58. In FIG. 16, the mounting portion 58 is not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the drive transmission mechanism 210 is provided in the four toner containers 3 mounted on the mounting portions 58. The drive transmission mechanism 210 includes four gear transmission mechanisms 103, four input gears 212 (an example of a second drive coupling portion), and four transmission gears 213 (an example of a transmission member). Each of the four toner containers 3 is provided with one gear transmission mechanism 103, one input gear 212, and one transmission gear 213. The gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212, and the transmission gear 213 are each provided on the lid 76 of the toner container 3. More specifically, the gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212, and the transmission gear 213 are rotatably accommodated in a concave gear accommodating portion 189 (hatched portion in FIG. 16) formed on the surface of the lid 76. The gear housing 189 is arranged in a state where it can mesh with each other and transmit a rotational force. The gear housing portion 189 is a recess that is recessed from the surface of the lid body 76 toward the inside of the container body 75. Each member of the gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212, and the transmission gear 213 is accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 189 on the inner side than the surface of the lid 76. That is, each member is accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 189 in a state of being buried in the gear accommodating portion 189. For this reason, each member maintains the state which does not protrude outside from the surface of the lid 76. In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment described above, the gears 201, 202, and 203 are not provided in the mounting portion 58.

  The gear transmission mechanism 103 includes a first transmission unit 191, a second transmission unit 192, and an idle gear 193, as in the configuration of the first embodiment described above, and a first gear 1911 is provided. A second gear 1921 is provided in the second transmission portion 192. Here, the 1st transmission part 191 is an example of the 1st drive connection part of this invention.

  Unlike the first embodiment described above, the first gear 1911K of the toner container 3K has a large outer diameter. Specifically, the first gear 1911K can be connected to the transmission gear 213M of the adjacent toner container 3M. Is formed. Since the first transmission unit 191 is connected to the rotation shaft 96 of the spiral member 95, when the rotational driving force is transmitted, both the spiral member 95 and the first gear 1911K rotate in the same rotation direction. Further, the output shaft of the drive source 30 is connected to the first output joint 61 of the toner container 3K. Therefore, when the driving source 30 is driven and a rotational driving force is output from the output shaft, the rotational driving force is transmitted through the first output joint 61 and the spiral member 95 of the toner container 3K through the first transmission unit 191. To rotate the first gear 1911K.

  In the present embodiment, the front side (left side in FIG. 16) of the gear accommodating portion 189 of the toner container 3 is open to the side. For this reason, in a state where the first gear 1911 is accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 189, a part of the outer peripheral portion projects sideways from the front side surface of the toner container 3. Thus, the first gear 1911 can mesh with the transmission gear 213M of another adjacent toner container 3. Further, the rear side (right side in FIG. 16) of each gear accommodating portion 189 of the toner containers 3M, 3C, 3Y is open to the side. For this reason, in a state where the transmission gear 213 is accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 189, a part of the outer peripheral portion projects laterally from the rear side surface of the toner container 3.

  The input gear 212 </ b> K included in the toner container 3 </ b> K is connected to the end portion 1091 on the lid 76 side of the rotating shaft 109 of the spiral member 108. The end portion 1091 passes through a bearing hole formed in the bottom surface of the gear housing portion 189 of the lid body 76 to the outside of the lid body 76, and the input gear 212K is connected to the end portion 1091. For this reason, when the input gear 212K rotates, the spiral member 108 also rotates in the same rotation direction. Unlike the first embodiment described above, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 58 is not provided with the second output joint 62.

  The transmission gear 213K included in the toner container 3K is disposed between the second gear 1921 and the input gear 212K of the gear transmission mechanism 103, and is coupled to the second gear 1921 and the input gear 212K so as to be able to transmit driving. .

  The gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212, and the transmission gear 213 of the toner containers 3M, 3C, and 3Y are configured in the same manner as the gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212K, and the transmission gear 213K of the toner container 3K. The description here is omitted.

  Of the four transmission gears 213, the three transmission gears 213M, 213C, and 213Y included in the toner containers 3M, 3C, and 3Y are disposed between the four first gears 1911 arranged in a line along the front-rear direction D2. Has been. Specifically, the transmission gear 213M is disposed between the adjacent first gears 1911K and 1911M, and is directly connected to the first gear 1911K adjacent to the toner container 3K side so as to be able to transmit the drive, The first gear 1911M, the idle gear 193, and the second gear 1921 adjacent to each other are connected so as to be able to transmit drive. The transmission gear 213C is disposed between the first gears 1911M and 1911C adjacent to each other, and is directly connected to the first gear 1911M adjacent to the toner container 3M side so as to be able to transmit the drive, and the second gear adjacent to the other side. The first gear 1911 </ b> C, the idle gear 193, and the second gear 1921 are connected so as to be able to transmit drive. The transmission gear 213Y is disposed between the adjacent first gears 1911C and 1911Y, and is directly connected to the first gear 1911C adjacent to the toner container 3C side so as to be able to transmit the drive, and adjacent to the other side. 1911Y, the idle gear 193, and the second gear 1921 are connected so as to be able to transmit drive. Therefore, when a rotational driving force is input to one of the two adjacent first gears 1911, the transmission gear 213 transmits the rotational driving force to the other first gear 1911. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, the output shaft of the drive source 30 is not connected to the first output joint 61 corresponding to the toner containers 3M, 3C, 3Y, and the output shaft is the first output joint of the toner container 3K. It is connected to 61 only. Therefore, when the rotational driving force is input to the first gear 1911K via the spiral member 95 and the first transmission portion 191 of the toner container 3K, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the transmission gear 213M of the toner container 3M, It is transmitted to the first gear 1911M via the second gear 192 and the idle gear 193. The rotational driving force is transmitted from the first gear 1911M to the transmission gear 213C of the toner container 3C, and then transmitted to the first gear 1911C via the second gear 192 and the idle gear 193. Further, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the first gear 1911C to the transmission gear 213Y of the toner container 3Y, and is transmitted to the first gear 1911Y via the second gear 192 and the idle gear 193. As a result, the rotational driving force is input to all the first gears 1911. As a result, the spiral member 95 and the stirring member 91 of each of the four toner containers 3 rotate. In each of the four toner containers 3, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the input gear 212 via the transmission gear 213 to rotate the spiral member 108.

  Since the drive transmission mechanism 210 is configured as described above, when the drive source 30 is driven in a state where the toner container 3 is mounted on all of the four mounting portions 58, the rotational driving force is the first gear 1911K. Then, the signals are sequentially transmitted to the adjacent gears, and finally transmitted to all the first gears 1911 and the input gears 212. Thereby, all the spiral members 95, the stirring member 91, and the spiral member 108 rotate. Even with such a configuration, the transmission loss of the transmission path from the drive source 30 to the spiral member 95 and the spiral member 108 can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the rotational driving force can be reliably ensured. 108.

  The present invention can be realized not only as the image forming apparatus 10 including the drive transmission mechanism 210 but also as the toner container 3 mounted on the mounting portion 58 of the image forming apparatus 10. That is, according to the present invention, in a state where the plurality of toner containers 3 are mounted on each mounting portion 58, the first gear 1911K included in the other adjacent toner container 3K and the first gear 1911M included in the toner container 3M are interposed. The toner container 3M may include a transmission gear 213M that is rotatably provided on the lid body 76 of the container body 75 so as to be disposed.

  The drive transmission mechanism 210 is not limited to a configuration in which the transmission gear 213 can transmit the drive to the input gear 212. For example, the drive transmission mechanism 210 may be configured to be capable of transmitting the rotational driving force from at least the first gear 1911K to the first gear 1911M via the adjacent transmission gear 213M.

  Further, in the second embodiment described above, the configuration in which the gear transmission mechanism 103, the input gear 212, and the transmission gear 213 are accommodated in the gear accommodating portion 189 is illustrated, but the drive transmission mechanism 210 is limited to such a configuration. I can't. For example, the gear transmission mechanism 103 exemplified in the first embodiment described above and a plurality of transmission gears (not shown) arranged outside the gear transmission mechanism 103 are provided, and adjacent first gears 1911 are connected to each other. A configuration may be employed in which the plurality of transmission gears are coupled so as to be able to transmit driving.

3: Toner container 10: Image forming apparatus 58: Mounting portion 61: First output joint 62: Second output joint 71: Upper housing portion 72: Lower housing portion 75: Container body 76: Lid 78: Upper case 79: Lower case 85: accommodation space 86: accommodation space 92: conveyance part 94: first conveyance guide part 95: spiral member 103: gear transmission mechanism 105: second conveyance guide part 108: spiral member 191: first transmission part 192: first 2 transmission section 193: idle gear 200, 210: drive transmission mechanism 201: first input gear 202: second input gear 203, 213: transmission gear 212: input gear

Claims (9)

A mounting portion capable of mounting a plurality of toner containers;
A plurality of first drive connecting portions that can be connected to and rotated by rotation members provided in each toner container in a mounting posture in which the plurality of toner containers are mounted on the mounting portion;
A rotational driving force supplied from the mounting portion is input to one of the adjacent first drive connection portions, and the other first drive connection portion is supplied from the one first drive connection portion. An image forming apparatus comprising: a transmission member configured to transmit the rotational driving force to the unit. The toner container is formed in an elongated shape in the vertical direction in the mounting posture,
A first toner storage unit capable of storing unused toner therein and disposed at an upper portion of the toner container in the mounting posture;
A second toner containing portion that is capable of containing therein used toner collected from the image forming apparatus, and that is disposed below the first toner containing portion and below the toner container in the mounting posture; Have
The rotating member is rotatably provided inside the first toner storage portion, and extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the toner container and perpendicular to the mounting portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a first conveying member that conveys the unused toner contained therein to the mounting portion side. A second conveying member that is rotatably provided in the second toner accommodating portion, extends in the vertical direction, and is capable of conveying toner in the second toner accommodating portion;
A plurality of second drive connecting portions that can be connected to and rotated by each of the second transport members provided in each toner container in the mounting posture;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission member transmits the rotational driving force from the first drive connecting portion to the second drive connecting portion. Provided in the first toner storage portion, the rotation shaft of the first conveying member is inserted outside the facing surface facing the mounting portion in the mounting posture, and the rotation shaft of the first conveying member is rotatable. A first bearing portion supported by
The rotational driving force that is provided at an end of the rotating shaft of the first transport member on the mounting portion side and that rotates the first transport member by being connected to the first drive connecting portion in the mounting posture is input. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a first drive input unit. Provided in the second toner storage portion, the rotation shaft of the second transport member is inserted outside the facing surface facing the mounting portion in the mounting posture, and the rotation shaft of the second transport member can be rotated. A second bearing portion supported by
The rotational driving force that is provided at an end of the rotating shaft of the second transport member on the mounting portion side and that rotates the second transport member by being connected to the second drive connecting portion in the mounting posture is input. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a second drive input unit. The plurality of first drive connecting portions are provided in the mounting portion,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member is provided between the plurality of first drive connecting portions in the mounting portion. The plurality of first drive coupling portions are provided in each of the plurality of toner containers,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member is provided in the toner container so as to be disposed between the plurality of first drive connecting portions included in the plurality of toner containers. 5. .   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a driving source that outputs the rotational driving force is connected to the one first driving connecting portion. A toner container mounted on a mounting portion to which a plurality of toner containers can be mounted,
A container body in which toner is stored;
A rotating member that is rotatably provided in the container body and conveys toner contained in the container body;
A first drive connecting portion rotatably provided on the container body and connected to a rotating shaft of the rotating member;
In a mounting posture in which the toner container is mounted on the mounting portion, the toner container is disposed between another first drive connecting portion provided in another adjacent toner container and the first drive connecting portion provided in the toner container. And a transmission member that is rotatably provided on the container main body and transmits a rotational driving force supplied from the mounting portion to the first drive connecting portion from the other first drive connecting portion.

Images